This post is the original notice from the WHO in relation to the novel coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Novel coronavirus infection - update23 November 2012 - WHO has been notified of four additional cases, including one death, due to infection with the novel coronavirus. The additional cases have been identified as part of the enhanced surveillance in Saudi Arabia (3 cases, including 1 death) and Qatar (1 case). This brings the total of laboratory confirmed cases to 6.

Investigations are ongoing in areas of epidemiology, clinical management, and virology, to look into the likely source of infection, the route of exposure, and the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the virus. Close contacts of the recently confirmed cases are being identified and followed-up.

So far, only the two most recently confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia are epidemiologically linked - they are from the same family, living in the same household. Preliminary investigations indicate that these 2 cases presented with similar symptoms of illness. One died and the other recovered.

Additionally, 2 other members of this family presented with similar symptoms of illness, where one died and the other is recovering. Laboratory results of the fatal case is pending, while the case that is recovering tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

WHO continues to work with the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other international health partners to gain a better understanding of the novel coronavirus and the disease in humans. Further epidemiological and scientific studies are needed to better understand the virus.

WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and is currently reviewing the case definition and other guidance related to the novel coronavirus. Until more information is available, it is prudent to consider that the virus is likely more widely distributed than just the two countries which have identified cases. Member States should consider testing of patients with unexplained pneumonias for the new coronavirus even in the absence of travel or other associations with the two affected countries. In addition, any clusters of SARI or SARI in health care workers should be thoroughly investigated regardless of where in the world they occur.

Of the 6 laboratory confirmed cases reported to WHO, 4 cases (including 2 deaths) are from Saudi Arabia and 2 cases are from Qatar.

There has been concern expressed with the slow reporting from the WHO in relation to the novel coronavirus that was first detected in Saudi Arabia.

It now appears that there are concerns that this slow reporting may have missed several cases in one family that had H2H transmission of this coronavirus and at the time of the Harj, meaning that if this coronavirus is in fact H2H transmissible and it may already have spread worldwide via attendees at the Harj.

This also ties in with the WHO recently suggesting that a greater area be monitored for this coronavirus.

WHO reported a cluster of four cases in October in a family living in the same household in Saudi Arabia, in which a father and son both fell ill with symptoms including pneumonia, fever and respiratory problems. The father, 70, died after developing renal failure. His son was hospitalized shortly afterward and died four days later after multiorgan failure. The son was confirmed with the coronavirus while the father's results are pending.

The topic of vaccinations makes a regular appearance here on this thread and though this next post isnt related directly to our primary interest here.

This article caught my eye and I thought that it should be posted, with the deepest of respect and sympathies to the families that have been affected.

Post-vaccination: Acute fever kills four infants in KhiproTeams admini­ster vaccin­ations among 386 childr­en of 22 villag­es in the area a few days ago.

By Sarwar BalochPublished: November 25, 2012

Teams administer vaccinations among 386 children of 22 villages in the area a few days ago.

SANGHAR: In what can be termed a medical mystery, four infants died from acute fever on Saturday in Din Mohammad Rajar village in Khipro taluka, Sindh, just days after they were vaccinated.

More than 20 other children are still suffering from a fever. According to details, a team administrated vaccinations among 386 children of 22 villages in the area a few days ago. Villagers told daily Sindh Express that the children suffered from acute fever before they died, and blamed the vaccinations for the sickness. The children who passed away were 10-day-old Samo, son of Ali Bux Rajar, five-month-old Ilyas, son of Latif Machhi, four-month-old Eid, daughter of Laiq Bheel and five-month-old Aleem, son of Ismail Machhi.

Many times I make the statement that Australia has become a "Nanny State", and with good reason.

Perhaps the worst professional offenders could be the medical profession here per se.

They do seem to have a serious God complex in this country and their sanctamonious approach to anything that might be in our best interestes, they seem to believe that it is their sole duty to assume that the average Australian citizen cant think for themselves and that process is best done by legislation.

Here we have a perfect example of what I am saying.

Have we not heard of face maks and good hand washing etc etc as all nurses and medical staff have been trained in?

Influenza vaccination uptake in an Australian hospital: time to make it mandatory for health care workers?Vivian K Y Leung, Susan E Harper and Monica A SlavinMed J Aust 2012; 197 (10): 552.doi: 10.5694/mja12.11199

To the Editor: Poor influenza vaccination uptake among Australian health care workers has recently come under scrutiny in the media.1 The Australian immunisation handbook recommends influenza vaccination for all health care workers to prevent influenza transmission to patients and other staff.

And just to highlight one very important reason why we might like to reconsider the contents of my previous post, we have this study done here in Australia on vaccination risks, and finding that risk increases could not be excluded for the small sampling used.

Its no wonder that the average age of nurses in my local hospital is 55 years old and that the government cant attract nurses to train nor can they even attract nursing staff from overseas.

Lousy pay, awfull working hours, overworked staff, the list goes on and now authorities would propose even more impediments.

Perhaps its these people making all these proposals that have too much free time on their hands and need to be directed to more productive tasks.

AbstractOBJECTIVES: To determine the relative incidence (RI) of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in a single Australian state following pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza A immunisation (monovalent vaccine or seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine [TIV]) in 2009-2010.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Active GBS surveillance (cases assessed by two neurologists according to the Brighton criteria) from 30 September 2009 to 30 September 2010, conducted at 10 hospitals in Victoria, Australia.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The RI of GBS in the risk window of 0-42 days after vaccination.

RESULTS: Sixty-six potential GBS cases were identified, with complete data on 50 confirmed cases. The Victorian annual incidence of GBS was 1.7 per 100 000 population. Three cases had received monovalent vaccine and one case had received seasonal TIV within 42 days of symptom onset. The RI of GBS following monovalent vaccination was 3.4 (95% CI, 0.8-15.0). For TIV, there was one case in the risk period (RI, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.08-5.64).

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first published study reviewing GBS after a trivalent and/or monovalent influenza vaccine containing the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 strain, with only a small proportion of GBS cases occurring after influenza immunisation. H1N1-containing vaccines were not statistically associated with GBS, but this study could not exclude smaller increases in the RI. Active surveillance of adverse events following immunisation is required to maintain public and health care professional confidence in mass vaccine implementation programs.

Though it is a study on pigs, it also provides parallel information that can be attributed to humans.

Looking at the results in the study and the timeframes involved, I am reminded of all the questions that I have been asking in relation to Patient Zero who contracted the first case of H3N2v while in hospital.

Readers will remember that it was reported that patient zero was tested for influenza when originally admitted to hospital for other medical problems, and those tests returned negative.

This clearly established that Patient Zero was not infected with an influenza virus on admission.

However Patient Zero did contract a virus that caused illness after two or three days into internment.

Now we have this study that would imply further evidence that Patient Zero DID contract influenza while in hospital, based on relevant timeframes.

So Again, I say to the CDC to come forward and offer an explaination as to how Patient Zero contracted an influenza strain previously unknown and while in hospital.

After all, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention by their very name must have sufficient expertise to execute their role and function professionally and since Patient Zero has been identified, the next task is to identify the reservour that infected Patient Zero, and that reservour being inside a hospital would or at least should be of intense interest to such an organization such as the CDC.

So I ask the question again, especially in light of this very enlightening study.

What was the reservour for Patient Zero?

A needle?

Innoculation into an IV drip?

There was a cause, what was it, and why the secrecy?

Is it because there was indeed deliberate human intervention?

Relationship between airborne detection of influenza A virus and the number of infected pigs.Corzo CA, Romagosa A, Dee SA, Gramer MR, Morrison RB, Torremorell M.SourceDepartment of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.

AbstractInfluenza A virus infects a wide range of species including both birds and mammals (including humans). One of the key routes by which the virus can infect populations of animals is by aerosol transmission. This study explored the relationship between number of infected pigs and the probability of detecting influenza virus RNA in bioaerosols through the course of an acute infection. Bioaerosols were collected using a cyclonic collector in two groups of 7week-old pigs that were experimentally infected by exposure with a contact infected pig (seeder pig). After contact exposure, individual pig nasal swab samples were collected daily and air samples were collected three times per day for 8days. All samples were tested for influenza by real-time reverse transcriptase (RRT)-PCR targeting the influenza virus matrix gene. All pigs' nasal swabs became influenza virus RRT-PCR positive upon exposure to the infected seeder pig. Airborne influenza was detected in 28/43 (65%) air samples. The temporal dynamics of influenza virus detection in air samples was in close agreement with the nasal shedding pattern in the infected pigs. First detection of positive bioaerosols happened at 1day post contact (DPC). Positive bioaerosols were consistently detected between 3 and 6 DPC, a time when most pigs were also shedding virus in nasal secretions. Overall, the odds of detecting a positive air sample increased 2.2 times for every additional nasal swab positive pig in the group. In summary, there was a strong relationship between the number of pigs shedding influenza virus in nasal secretions and the generation of bioaerosols during the course of an acute infection.

This next article reports on an American study undertaken on reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) developing after vaccinations.

In the conclusions it clearly states.."Although the nonnormal distribution of post-vaccination GBS suggests that some cases may be triggered by vaccination".

But then goes on to RECOMMEND first line protection remains vaccination!

I cannot believe that these people would make such a recommendation in light of the results of their studies.

And another thing too.

Did their study look at the cumulative affects of regular annual vaccinations, they should have as mercury to name one common ingredient accumulates in the human body, so the TOTAL number of vaccinations over an entire life must be taken into account for the study to be meaningful.

This might be an over simplistic view, but are these people doing this work actually totally independant, or is there some awareness or presence of big pharmacy somewhere in this picture that isnt being made known?

AbstractOBJECTIVES: : To determine the rate of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) after administration of influenza vaccine in the United States and to provide further information about the characteristics and temporal profile of these incidents.

METHODS: : Data were acquired from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, supplemented by data from the Center for Biologics and Research under the Freedom of Information Act between 1990 and 2009.

RESULTS: : There were 802 cases (mean age, 54.72 ± 18.4 years) of GBS reported after influenza vaccination in the United States between 1990 and 2009. Among the 802 vaccinated patients with available data, 624 (77.8%) developed GBS within 6 weeks and 78 (9.7%) after 6 weeks, whereas these data were unavailable for the remaining 100 patients (13%). The reporting rate of post-influenza vaccine GBS was within the range expected in the general population or approximately 0.46 cases per million vaccinations. A non-Gaussian distribution of GBS within the first 6 weeks post-vaccination was noted, given that the peak incidence occurred in the second week.

CONCLUSIONS: : The incidence of post-influenza vaccine GBS is similar to the incidence of idiopathic GBS in the general population. Although the nonnormal distribution of post-vaccination GBS suggests that some cases may be triggered by vaccination, the greater risk of complications from influenza virus infections makes vaccination the first-line strategy for infection prevention and support the current guidelines on vaccination.

Just two days ago I made the following post on the WHO's reporting of the novel coronavirus.

There has been criticizm levelled against them for their slow responses in relation to the above.

So right now I am going to place a few dissconcerting thoughts that I hope fit nicely into the conspiracy theory/ lunatic fringe relm and that these musings might pre-empt any thoughts that could lead to actions at a later time.

The WHO knew that the Harj was on when this information was available?

The Saudi authorities are very sensitive about how information that migh adversly reflect on them.

The Harj is a very religous specific pilgrimage, attracting millions from all over the globe and concentrating them all into a very tight single group for a significant time period.

No reservour for this novel coronavirus has yet been identified, why?

The WHO is an arm of the United Nations.

The UN has a policy that encourages de-population.

It also has agenda 21.

The current conflict in the Middle East has at its core the issue of Palestine being recognised by the UN, this could yet end with nuclear war, de-population with the UN involved.

In the nearby region, potential outbreak of a pandemic SARS like killer- de-populator.

The UN is NOT a very well respected or liked organization that is constantly and un-endingly applying its own pressures on all nations that would see it as the single ruling body for the entire globe. The New World Order?

The League of Nations was summarily dissbanded many decades ago for heading in the very same direction that the UN has now surpassed, and the UN was the League of Nations replacement.

Do we begin to sense a pattern here, things that should be totally dissconnected, but just might not be, conflicts of interest?

Well I guess most reading this will get my point, so for now.

Enough said, but ever watching and always suspicous.

"Power corrupts.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely".

This post is the original notice from the WHO in relation to the novel coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Novel coronavirus infection - update23 November 2012 - WHO has been notified of four additional cases, including one death, due to infection with the novel coronavirus. The additional cases have been identified as part of the enhanced surveillance in Saudi Arabia (3 cases, including 1 death) and Qatar (1 case). This brings the total of laboratory confirmed cases to 6.

Investigations are ongoing in areas of epidemiology, clinical management, and virology, to look into the likely source of infection, the route of exposure, and the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the virus. Close contacts of the recently confirmed cases are being identified and followed-up.

So far, only the two most recently confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia are epidemiologically linked - they are from the same family, living in the same household. Preliminary investigations indicate that these 2 cases presented with similar symptoms of illness. One died and the other recovered.

Additionally, 2 other members of this family presented with similar symptoms of illness, where one died and the other is recovering. Laboratory results of the fatal case is pending, while the case that is recovering tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

WHO continues to work with the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other international health partners to gain a better understanding of the novel coronavirus and the disease in humans. Further epidemiological and scientific studies are needed to better understand the virus.

WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and is currently reviewing the case definition and other guidance related to the novel coronavirus. Until more information is available, it is prudent to consider that the virus is likely more widely distributed than just the two countries which have identified cases. Member States should consider testing of patients with unexplained pneumonias for the new coronavirus even in the absence of travel or other associations with the two affected countries. In addition, any clusters of SARI or SARI in health care workers should be thoroughly investigated regardless of where in the world they occur.

Of the 6 laboratory confirmed cases reported to WHO, 4 cases (including 2 deaths) are from Saudi Arabia and 2 cases are from Qatar.

We all know that bio-labs can be places of potential disaster to humanity because of the various microbes that many of them house in order to do necessary research and develop new products.

And these days they should be places that are highly monitored and secured because of potential opportunists who might get it into their heads to attempt to obtain and release some bio hazardardous material for some agenda.

God knows, there are any number of those idiots wandering around this rock capable of such insane intents.

Well it appears that what we might assume and expect, might also not be the case as this next article would clearly demonstrate.

More alarmingly is the attitude that big pharma has regarding the need to accomodate such independant oversight and again probably because of the influence that they hold over governments its not very likley that matters will change any time soon.

Whistleblower now reluctant biotech safety spokeswoman By Lee Howard Publication: The Day

Published 04/01/2012 12:00 AMUpdated 04/01/2012 12:04 AM Dana Jensen/The DayBecky McClain, a former Pfizer scientist who won a $1.37 million lawsuit against the company after becoming ill on the job but has not received any of the money, sits in her home last week. Pfizer is fighting the decision in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.Buy Photo

Former Pfizer Inc. molecular biologist Becky McClain calls herself a "reluctant activist" now that she has become a national spokeswoman for biotech safety after winning a $1.37 million judgment two years ago against her former employer.

"I'm a scientist," the Deep River resident said. "I'm not schooled in public speaking."

But McClain, who won a jury award on April 1, 2010, against Pfizer after being fired following a series of safety complaints and what she says was exposure to a novel virus at the pharmaceutical giant's Groton laboratories, has been taking speaking engagements around the country to inform the public about the dangers of unregulated biotech laboratories.

In new news from Central Java in Indonesia we are learning that H5N1 has been the cause of large numbers of duck deaths.

This is particularly concerning for two reasons.

Firstly, ducks are usually considered as hosts of many influenza strains that can live and grow without causing any heath concerns to their duck hosts.

This strain of H5N1 avian influenza is killing its hosts causing concern that the strain has evolved into an even more deadlier strain than previously believed to exist, however this is an assumption at this stage, and remains to be proven via sequencing.

The second reason for concern is the fact that ducks can be migratory and as such they can and indeed do act as vectors, able to carry disease great distances crossing not just borders but also oceans to far off continents and thereby threatening communities that might think that they are safe because of isolation such as Australia, but gain no effective protection at all because of this type of vectoring.

Hundreds of Ducks Infected with Bird Flu

WONOGIRI, suaramerdeka.com - About 200 ducks in Hamlet Ngelo, Semin Village, District Nguntoronadi, Wonogiri died within a few days. Hundreds of ducks that died was allegedly infected with bird flu virus.

Head of the Animal Husbandry Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources (Disnakperla) Wonogiri, Rully Pramono Retno said, the deaths of hundreds of ducks in the village since Thursday-Sunday (22-25/11). "We received reports of dead ducks since 22 November. Tail number is around 200," he said on Monday (26/11).

Ducks that died consisted of 50 ducks and 150 ducks laying people aged one month. All from a duck farm in the hamlet Ngelo. "The number of ducks on the farm about 500 head of which is the support of the government," he continued.

There seems to be a never ending line of geniuses that seem compelled to have to change everything around then and often with serious unanticipated bad consequences.

This next little gem might be a good idea, but I do wonder about whether the inclusion of completely sealed transportation and complete dissinfection of transports and workers would also come into consideration here as well, along with all the associated costs.

Surely the tried and proven methods of digging large holes in the ground at the site where the contaigen is, with appropriate incineration and or dissinfection before burial would be the safest, cheapest and most logical solution.

Oh, perhaps that is why its done this way already!!

Honestly this smells heavily of some bright spark greenie trying to make a statement about power stations more than anything of real value, and it the type of journalism our heavily green ABC would indulge in reporting, just rubbish...again!

Photo: Biosecurity officials consider using power stations for the mass disposal of animals. (David Hancock: AFP) Map: Liddell 2333 Plans have been mooted to use Hunter Valley power stations for the mass cremation of animals, culled in the event of a biosecurity emergency.

Biosecurity officials have been in the Hunter Valley dealing with the aftermath of a bird flu outbreak at a local chicken farm.

Euroflu's weekly flu reports for the period from the 12th of November to the 18th of November and are as follows.

Week 46 : 12/11/2012-18/11/2012 23 November 2012, Issue N° 463

Influenza activity remains at pre-seasonal levels in the WHO European Region

Summary, week 46/2012

Levels of influenza activity in the Region remain low, with co-circulation of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and type B viruses reported by countries this week. The number of specimens testing positive for influenza is typical for this time of the year and comparable with previous seasons. The number of hospitalizations due to severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) was similar to that in the previous week, with only 1 case testing positive for influenza B.

Virological surveillance for influenza

This section describes which influenza viruses are circulating according to influenza type (A and B) and subtype (A(H3N2) and A(H1N1)pdm09) or lineage (B/Victoria or B/Yamagata). Overall, a total of 108 specimens tested positive for influenza in week 46/2012: 60 were type A and 48 were type B. Of the influenza A viruses, 30 were subtyped: 16 as A(H3N2) and 14 as A(H1N1)pdm09 (Fig. 1). Since week 40/2012, 440 influenza viruses from sentinel and non-sentinel sources have been typed: 278 (63%) were influenza A and 162 (37%) influenza B. Of the influenza A viruses 165 were subtyped: 90 (55%) as A(H3N2) and 75 (45%) as A(H1N1)pdm09.

Since I began this thread back in Feb this year, we have travelled far and wide while monitoring the world and researching all we can on primarily Avian Influenza, H5N1.

Well after all that time and effort, this next article may well prove to be the single most significant and excellent news on the subject yet to date.

I urge all to take the time to follow this link and read the short article I have extracted from.

New vaccine may give lifelong protection from flu 18:00 25 November 2012 by Debora Mackenzie

For similar stories, visit the Epidemics and Pandemics and Bird Flu Topic Guides

Flu season has come early this year in parts of the northern hemisphere, and many people are scrambling to get their annual vaccination. That ritual may someday be history.

In a first for any infectious disease, a vaccine against flu has been made out of messenger RNA (mRNA) – the genetic material that controls the production of proteins. Unlike its predecessors, the new vaccine may work for life, and it may be possible to manufacture it quickly enough to stop a pandemic.

SILVER SPRING, MD. – A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel gave its unanimous support Nov. 14 to an H5N1 influenza vaccine designated for a national stockpile, where it would be reserved for use during an avian influenza pandemic or outbreak.

The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted 14-0 that the influenza A (H5N1) Virus Monovalent Vaccine should be approved based on the safety and immune responses to the vaccine in clinical studies, GlaxoSmithKline contracted with the U.S. government to develop the vaccine, which contains an antigen-sparing adjuvant that boosts the immune response. If licensed, it will be deposited in the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile and owned by the U.S. government, which would control the distribution and use of the vaccine in the case of a pandemic.

We have a study here that finds that regular vaccinating of poultry in Egypt is NOT effecting complete protection from H5N1, and recommends regular updating of vaccines in order to keep up with the evolving virus.

Obviously this also has consequences for humans there as well, with Egypt being one of the main centres where humans have been infected and suffered from H5N1 avian influenza.

Published: 27 November 2012 Abstract (provisional)BackgroundUninterrupted transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 of clade 2.2.1 in Egypt since 2006 resulted in establishment of two main genetic clusters. The 2.2.1/C group where all recent human and majority of backyard origin viruses clustered together, meanwhile the majority of viruses derived from vaccinated poultry in commercial farms grouped in 2.2.1.1 clade. FindingsIn the present investigation, an HPAIV H5N1 was isolated from twenty weeks old layers chickens that were vaccinated with a homologous H5N1 vaccine at 1, 7 and 16 weeks old. At twenty weeks of age, birds showed cyanosis of comb and wattle, decrease in egg production and up to 27% mortality. Examined serum samples showed low antibody titer in HI test (Log2 3.2+/- 4.2). The hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of the isolated virus were closely related to viruses in 2.2.1/C group isolated from poultry in live bird market (LBM) and backyards or from infected people. Conspicuous mutations in the HA and NA genes including a deletion within the receptor binding domain in the HA globular head region were observed. ConclusionsDespite repeated vaccination of layer chickens using a homologous H5N1 vaccine, infection with HPAIV H5N1 resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. In endemic countries like Egypt, rigorous control measures including enforcement of biosecurity, culling of infected birds and constant update of vaccine virus strains are highly required to prevent circulation of HPAIV H5N1 between backyard birds, commercial poultry, LBM and humans.

Just two days ago I made a post (above) regarding my suspicions of the WHO over their role with handling information in relation to the novel coronavirus in Saudi Arabia.

I believe that the King of Saudi Arabia is currently unwell and interred in hospital.

With the greatest of respect for him, I sincerely wish His Highness a speedy recovery and a quick return to a happy and healthy life.

I am however compelled to continue with my relevant work here too though.

Having said what I have, there is more information at hand that could implicate the WHO for NOT disseminating highly valuable and essential information on this new coronavirus which is now pointing very heavily to the possibility that by these actions, the WHO could be primarily responsible for the worldwide distribution of this coronavirus because of the presence of millions of Hajj visitors to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and who could easily and unknowingly have vectored this coronavirus out of Saudi Arabia.

Time will tell if this has happened.

In recent times the WHO has suggested that this coronavirus should be tested for, basically worldwide, which clearly points to the fact that they are fully aware of the results of their actions.

We do trust ProMED-mail's editors and moderators will remember that our Ministry of Health bears ultimate responsibility for managing contagious disease within and even outside our boundaries. We take seriously our responsibilities to our citizens and our guests. This time of year, we assume an enormous responsibility to our Hajj pilgrims visiting Mecca, and then to the world community as our guests return home. We invite our friends and colleagues to stay tuned; we invite ProMED-mail to collaborate with us to balance public health reporting. As of now, the full story has yet to be told.

The above comments are from an October 22, 2012 ProMED letter from Ziad Memish, who is Deputy Minister of Public Health for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as well as Director WHO Collaborating Center for Mass Gatherings.

I do smell a cover up with collusion and secret co-operation between different organizations over the handling of information on the novel coronavirus, and it appears that I am not alone.

This type of behavour has a certain very familiar "feel" to it and it is always associated with complicity and deliberate disshonesty.

It is actually pretty transparent when you look past the actual words and look deeper in what the actual mechanics of the message really are.

The real question in relation to all of the is WHY?

Why did the WHO do what they did in the first place?

Why are they now attempting to cover their actions or inactions up?

Why are they recruiting and colluding with external organizations to further compound a bad situation?

If I was to make a simple guess at what has happened here, I think that the original decision makers thought it best to keep all the pertinant information on the novel coronavirus quiet in order not to dissrupt the annuual Hajj pilgrimage, which was obviously a poorly thought out decision, certainly not looking very far into the future nor considering the broader implications of international vectoring of a newly discovered coronavirus.

However once that decision had been made, rather than simply come forward and say so, admitting to acting in the best interest as it was perceived at the time, the whole matter has and is continuing to grow into a saga that will ultimately do massive damage to the reputations of not just a few personalities but entire organizations as is already becoming evident.

Put very simply, people are very suspicous and distrustiong of many authorities and organizations because this type of mistake then the inevidibe cover up has become a constant in the world, a world where poeple have been given repeated and justified reason to hold their suspiions and distrusts.

ECDC updated risk assessment concludes that in the absence of evidence of sustained person-to-person transmission outside of household settings, the current facts still point towards a hypothesis of a zoonotic or environmental source with occasional transmission to exposed humans.

The above comments from the abstract of the European Center for Disease Control risk assessment for the novel betacornavirus November 26 report is yet another example of a focus on an animal origin of a disease transmitting in humans. It contains that all too familial of “no evidence of” for a disease that is new, novel, and has had extremely limited testing.

Another H1N1 swine flu patient has passed away in India according to this report.

From further into the report it would appear that some medicos there might be getting a little sensitive to the ongoing problems that they are experiencing with H1N1.

H1N1 patient dies of renal failure

COIMBATORE: A fifty-two-year-old man affected by H1N1 virus died in the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), on Tuesday morning.

The deceased Mayilsamy, a resident of Mudalipalayam in Tirupur district was admitted at the hospital on Saturday after the case was referred from the G Kuppusamy Naidu Memorial hospital in the city. According to P Sivaprakasam, resident medical officer, CMCH, Mayilsamy was admitted at the hospital on November 25. He underwent treatment at GKNM for two days before being referred to the CMCH, he said.

Dubai: The number of seasonal flu cases have increased by about 15 to 20 per cent, up from six weeks ago — an expected rise according to the Preventive Services Centre at Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Private hospitals have reported that almost 20 patients are being diagnosed with flu every day.

While reading the last article there was a side link to this next article, which is not completely true to our topic here, I thought it a worthwhile article to post anyway.

We in the west are constantly bombarded with advertisments extolling the wonders and benefits of so many consumer products that will steralize this and that in our homes and for our kids benefit, which I have always been quite annoyed with as they actually do too much.

Well from the people at Harvard, we can feel a lot less guilty when we dont quite get all those "essential" cleaning duties completed around home, as those advertisers would imply.

Being too clean is bad for children, says doctor.

Doctor says cleanliness is important, but parents don’t have to get paranoid

By Mahmood Saberi, Senior ReporterPublished: 11:25 July 23, 2012

Dubai: The news is not likely to make parents happy but children will in all probability jump for joy. A study says that protecting children in an over-clean atmosphere at home and outside is more likely to damage their immunity than allowing them to live in a less-than-spotless environment. Evidence is growing that dirt and germs can protect against disease — and that our indoor-based, ultra-clean lifestyles are bad for our health.

It is said that without exposure to dirt and germs early in life, the immune system doesn’t learn how to control its reaction to invaders such as dust and pollen. The latest evidence comes from Harvard Medical School, which conducted studies that show the critical importance of proper immune conditioning by microbes during the earliest periods of life.

He was a previously well 49 year-old man who developed a mild undiagnosed respiratory illness while visiting Saudi Arabia during August 2012, which fully resolved. He subsequently presented to a physician in Qatar on 3 September, with cough, myalgia and arthralgia, and was prescribed oral antibiotics. Five days later, he was admitted to a Qatari hospital with fever (38.4 °C) and hypoxia, with oxygen saturation of 91% on room air. A chest X-ray showed bilateral lower zone consolidation. He was treated with ceftriaxone, azithromycin and oseltamivir. After 48 hours, he required intubation and ventilation and was transferred by air ambulance to London. During transfer, he was clinically unstable, requiring manual ventilation.

Mounts says when the first two infections with this virus were spotted, in June and then September, both men had been in Mecca, Saudia Arabia, before they got sick. As such the chance existed that the source of infection — which is currently unknown — was only found there.

Pointing out that the flight details sick to his brother began after returning from Umrah week where began to feel shortness of breath and cough,

The above translation of comments by the brother of the first novel beta coronavirus case (49M) in Qatar indicates the brother traveled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah week. Media reports cited his visit to Mecca prior to more severe symptoms that developed in Doha, Qatar prior to air ambulance transfer to London, where the novel coronavirus was detected by the Health Protection Agency using a pancornavirus PCR test developed after the SARS CoV outbreak in 2003.

What is known is that this virus is different from any other that has been found to date in humans and animals. Symptoms may include fever, coughing and difficulty breathing.

Break to final Para.

WHO has recommended wider testing and expects additional positives. As noted above, the novel coronavirus has not been detected in any animal species in spite of aggressive testing of multiple species, especially bats, following the 2003 SARS CoV outbreak.

While information gaps remain, the WHO is slowly trickling information on the novel coronavirus.

With what is now available it appears that the presence or development of renal failure in association with this coronavirus is likley to eventually find those cases to end with fatal outcomes, though the sample so far is small and more complete information is needed.

The clinical picture in all cases was an acute respiratory infection presenting with signs and symptoms of pneumonia. Four patients developed acute renal failure; one of these died. The remaining three patients had pneumonia that required intensive support, without renal failure, and recovered. Three confirmed cases and the one probable case all belong to the same family and were living in the same household.

The above comments are from the WHO November 28 guidelines on surveillance testing for the novel betacoronavirus first reported in September. The update increases the number of confirmed cases to seven and cites four cases with renal failure. The first two cases had renal failure and media reports indicated the two fatal cases (70 year old father and his son) also had renal failure. Therefore the 7th confirmed case would be the father (70M) and the WHO comments above should read that one of the cases survived (the 49M from Qatar), instead of stating that only one died.

Here we see the suggestion that this coronavirus may have a "milder" form that is perhaps present in the community and not being detected as it is not presenting in hospitals for testing and treatment.

As well, two of the more recent cases were not as sick as the first cases, Mounts notes. They were seriously sick — they needed mechanical help breathing for a time — but they didn't experience the kidney failure seen in the first two cases.

"So that indicates to us that there is a milder form of the disease. It doesn't always involve multi-organ failure and so on," Mounts says.

"But how mild it could be is unknown. And you know, that's basically because where we look for this is in hospitals. And people have not yet started to test milder cases in the area."

On the coasts of the Black and Azov seas, local residents discovered near the village in Veselovka in Temryuk district of the Krasnodar Territory and the area of the resort of Anapa coastline estuaries Kiziltash, Bugaz and spit naked thousands of dead birds, including gulls, coots, cormorants, swans and ducks.

The above translation describes a massive H5N1 outbreak in wild birds in western Krasnodar. Multiple stories in Russian media describe the outbreak with estimates ranging from 600 to 1000’s of dead birds. H5 has been confirmed and it is likely that the deaths are due to clade 2.3.2.1 (Fujian strain) which is now widespread in wild birds in eastern Asian countries including China, Japan, and South Korea.